Velocipede



(No Model.)

0. T. HOSKINS & D. WALKER.

VBLOGIPBDE. No. 564,282. Patented July 21, 1896.

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vwawtoz UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES T. HOSKINS AND DOSS WALKER, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

VELOCIPEDE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Pa nt No. 564,282, datea nn 21, 1896. Application filed November 15,1895. Serial mam. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, CHARLES T. HOSKINS and DOSS WVALKER, citizens of the United States, residing at Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inVelocipedes; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in bicycles and other like vehicles, and is directed more particularly to improvements in the means or mechanism employed for adj usting and for maintaining the position,when adjusted, of the handle-bar of the vehicle to suit the varying conditions of power or speed requisite in riding.

The invention has for its object the pro duction of a simply-constructed means for effecting this adjustment, which means or mechanism is capable of being readily manipulated and is productive of successful and quick operation even while the vehicle is under full speed, and without in any way impedingthe propelling and steering operations.

The nature of the invention will become fully apparent from a reading of the following description, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is avertical longitudinal sectional view of portions of the steering-head and handle-bar of a bicycle or other like vehicle embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a planview of a portion of the handlebar detached, and Figs. 3 and 4 are cross-sectionalviews taken, respectively, through lines :0 0c and y y of Fig. 1.

Referring to the said drawings byletter, A denotes the steering-post, which is provided with the head a, apertured to receive loosely the handle-bar B to permit of the free turnin g of the latter to effect the adjustment. In

one end of the head and communicating with its aperture are a series of radially-disposed recesses a a, corresponding in position and number to the various angles of adjustment These recesses are best of the handle-bar.

shown in Fig. 4, there being four in number, though more or less may be employed. The handle-bar is provided with an integral flange I), having a sloping outer side and a vertical inner side, the latter forming a shoulder which abuts against the recessed end of the head a. The handle-bar, beyond the other end of the head, is exteriorly screw-threaded to receive a nut c, which in practice is screwed up against the head to prevent longitudinal movement of the bar, and conforms in shape to the flange 1), having, however, a polygonalshaped portion 0 for the application of a wrench.

The construction so far described permits of the turning of the handle-bar freely in the head, and we will now describe the means for enabling the operator at will to lock or release the bar in any of the positions to which it mayhave been turned, it being understood that these positions are governed by the location of the recesses before referred to.

The lock employed is in the nature of a spring-controlled latch which is moved to unlock the parts by outside manipulation, this being effected by a rider when the vehicle is under full speed as easily as when at a standstill.

D is the latch-bar, located within the handle-bar and projecting through a slot b in the latter and terminating at a line coincident with the base of a recess a. This bar D is secured to a rod 6, arranged within and parallel with the handle-bar, and said rod is passed through a disk f, fixedly secured in place. A coiled spring g is interposed between this disk and the latch-bar and serves by a pulling action to normally hold the latter firmly within one of the recesses in order to securely lock the handle-bar from movement. To free the handle-bar and permit of its being turned to occupy a different position,we provide an arm h,which is secured at its inner end to the latch, and after passing through a slot in the flange b terminates in a finger hold or handle h,within easy access of the hand of the rider; The slot Z) is of sufficient length to permit of the latch being moved against the action of the spring sufficiently to clear the recessed end of the head, and while said latch is so held the handle-bar may be moved to the desired position. The

bar being so moved the latch is released and the locking of the parts is effected automatically by the action of the spring.

At 79 is a slot formed in the handle-bar to permit of the placing of the parts in assembling the structure.

\Vhat we claim as our invention is As a means for adjusting the position of the handle-bar of a bicycle or other like vehicle, the combination of the head of a steering-post, having an aperture and a plurality of recesses adjacent thereto, a handle-bar movable in said head, and having a shoulder 

